Spring clean your brain + the capacity check-in I've been using daily
How to give yourself the permission and gift to actually slow down when you need to
I’ve been doing some spring cleaning recently and it hit me…
when you have a lot of things, it can feel like the physical world is split into 2 categories in your mind: your stuff and other peoples’ stuff.
and maybe you cling more tightly to everything that’s “yours”
But when you start to let go, declutter, or are forced to through loss…the whole world is somehow more yours and, at the same, more for everybody.
Which got me thinking and wondering about what happens when we intentionally “spring clean” our brains. Not to get rid of stuff necessarily, but to clear space for creative thoughts and inspiration to freely flow.
To make room for your own joy and abundance while also truly celebrating the joys and abundance of others.
I’ve filled this post with some intentional prompts and questions I’ve been asking myself lately to help get more clear and aligned with what’s actually important to me and how I can better manage my energy to experience and move forward with those important things.
Anddd I have a gift I’m really excited to give you: create your own personal copy of my digital daily energy check-in + gentle planner I’ve been using to help give myself the permission to slow down when I really need to. You’ll find that near the bottom of this post.
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Are you overspending your time and energy on things that you don’t really want to be?
And how can you know better what really aligns with you, your capacity, your strengths, your preferences…
Here are some kind questions and gentle prompts to ask yourself:
How are you being supported?
Typically, when I’m trying to figure out a problem like how to get everything done, I think of things like how I could get more actual support dead last.
But I’m trying to make a shift to allow others to support me and also give myself support when I need it, so this is my first prompt for you and for me.
Consider: Am I getting enough support in tackling all the to-dos on the list? Are there anythings I could delegate? Am I getting the right type of support? How can I plan ahead or support myself ahead of time?
Match your default plan to who you are now (not the ideal)
Another gentle shift that I’m getting into this week is whenever I get an idea for something bright and shiny and new, I’m pausing before jumping head first into that idea.
Instead, first I think about who I currently am and who I am currently being. Would that girl be excited to do everything that is involved in bringing this idea into being, consistently? Not my ideal self, or someone I wish I was…but who I am right now.
Not to discourage myself, but to but a few pitstops or boundaries in place before I over-commit.
Consider: Having a lot of awesome ideas is great. But do you feel like you need to pursue all of them? Where can you create a place for your ideas to live and breathe for the moment so you don’t feel like it’s your responsibility right now to bring them to life?
And remember that everything you say “yes” to doesn’t only affect itself
Take a moment to think about what impact a new idea or new commitment have on other areas of your life? Will it force or take the direction of your life different from where you really want it to go? Will where it take you be grounded in your values and priorities?
This also goes for the people asking you to do something. Before you automatically say yes, remember that your yes isn’t just a yes for that thing, but a yes for spending your energy, time, and resources.
Audit your must-dos and non-negotiables
How much of your time is decided for you? Or that you’ve already committed to? Is that already more than what you know works best for you?
Consider: What are the things you already have scheduled for next month before it even starts (in your mind or on paper)? Write those down to get a bigger picture of where your energy is going to go, before you’re even in it.
This cues you into your big-picture and lets you know where in general your time and resources are being spent. Where are you “spending” on things that don’t really matter to you or your loved ones? What happens to your mood when you do overspend on these?
Check in with yourself and your available capacity daily
And what’s helped me most recently is getting concrete feedback. To see the actual evidence that shows I really need to slow down and rest.
In a perfect world, I’d be able to allow myself and take all the time I need to rest without evidence or permission.
But, I know how tough it is to give yourself that permission to rest or slow down, even when you do have the time. Especially for people with chronic medical conditions, chronic pain, and neurodivergent people, it can be especially tricky and layered to completely understand when and why you need more rest than you’re getting. It can be tough to receive clear signals from your body or tune into your interoception.
So I’ve created this simple, interactive energy-led daily check-in for myself that I think you also will enjoy using:
(free beta version of this product, opens in Canva)
Make sure to click “publish website” to save your own personal copy. When you save your own copy, the website won’t be public (unless you share the url with someone), but I recommend setting a password for added security if you’re using it as a journal (see how in the video below).
How to download and use my energetic check-in ↓
Hahahaha I’m laughing at how much I started rambling at the end of this video.
What I meant was:
you can add this webpage you created to your phone’s home screen to use it as a password protected app (how to add a website to your phone’s home screen)
you can alternatively create your own physical version of this by:
adding these prompts to a journal
using a dry erase board to check in with yourself daily
recording your answers in a hybrid digital/analog system like Rocketbook (my fave for journalling on paper: the paper and pens are erase-able, so you can reuse the paper over and over, and you can also upload your entries to the Rocketbook app or digital files for safe keeping)
Let me know if you have questions!
And this digital energy check-in planner was initially shared last December, feel free to explore the post to dive even deeper into some gentle planning inspo:
I hope this was insightful and hugely helpful for you. Let me know if you tried out the energy check-in and how it went for you! Is there anything else that you are having trouble with when it comes to balancing your ambition and goals with your available energy and capacity? I’d love to hear from you!
And as always, thank you for being here, and for choosing depth in a sometimes fast-paced world.
Sending lots of love,
Katie is an occupational therapist, web designer, and HSP mentor and nervous system specialist on a mission to help heart-led aspiring entrepreneurs feel safe being seen online and build aligned, embodied business success.
*Medical disclaimer: Although I’m a licensed and registered occupational therapist (OT), I am not your OT. Any information I provide in these posts are for educational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized OT assessment, intervention, or medical advice of any kind.
This post is sponsored by Creativity Bias Studio (my web design biz!)
My Squarespace templates and design packages can include mentorship, nervous system education, visual brand and copy guidance (or completely done-for-you upgrades), and a uniquely designed, gently strategic, website ready for you to launch with embodied confidence. Free branded Substack visuals with any 1:1 service ♡
Note 🎵 I will be on break from web design stuff for the month of June 2026 and my email and message responses may be delayed. Please still inquire or message me at any time, but thank you for your patience if it takes longer for me to get back to you:
Have questions about what it’d be like to work together? Send me a message!
The “how am I being supported” question feels so simple as I read it, but really is incredibly impactful. I need that prompt!
Also I had no idea you could use Canva that way. I need to check out the planner!